The Best Beard Trimmers of 2026

From a five o’clock shadow to a full-grown Grizzly Adams face of fur, there’s facial hair out there that’ll be flattering on any man, provided they keep it well-groomed. A well-shaped beard can enhance a weak chin and jawline, hide weight gain or simply reduce the pain and frustration of wet-shaving. Having the right beard trimmer can drastically improve your day-to-day beard grooming needs.

In our testing, we found that the Wahl Lithium Ion+ Stainless-steel Trimmer With Grooming Kit (available at Amazon) is the best option for most people. Its overall performance and supportive accessories truly separated it almost entirely from the pack.

Other Beard Trimmers and Electric Shavers We Tested

What To Consider When Buying a Beard Trimmer

Whether you’re growing facial hair or want to maintain your hairstyle in between barber visits, a beard trimmer is a great tool to have handy in your grooming kit. However, there are many options to choose from, including cordless, waterproof, and vacuum trimmers. Knowing how you want to use your trimmer will be very helpful in your decision-making.

Who needs a beard trimmer?

No one actually needs a beard trimmer: you can maintain your facial hair and sideburns with a good electric razor or manual razor, pair of scissors, and a comb. But doing so takes skill and practice. If you’re not interested in crushing your coif as you learn, however, a beard trimmer is the way to go.

A well-designed beard trimmer can help you to keep your beard, moustache, sideburns, and even your neckline looking neat with minimal effort and next to no skill. Set your trimmer to the length you desire—or remove your blade guard to define the edges of your beard—and you’re in business.

If you have sensitive skin or suffer from frequent ingrown hairs, consider using a beard trimmer to keep your facial hair short instead of shaving, which may make things more comfortable for you.

Key Features

If you decide that you need a beard trimmer in your life, here are the three most important boxes to check before you invest in some new hardware. You’ll find that the majority of the trimmers in this guide, no matter their cost, come with the features we outline below. It’s just a question of which does the best job of making you look your best:

• Blade sharpness: The sharper the blades, the more versatile your trimmer will be. You may need it for creating beard lines, shaping long beards, cleaning up necklines, evening sideburns, and more. The bottom line is making sure that your new trimmer can effectively create a close beard trim (level "zero"). If it can also do this on all hair types, it’s a stand-out winner.

• Motor power: The more power, the more effective and efficient your job will be. Combine this with sharp blades, and you have a trimmer that will deliver every time.

• Durability: If you’re going to spend the money on a beard trimmer, you want it to last. While most people won’t be putting it through the same paces a professional barber will, the odds are that you’re still going to reach for it pretty often. It needs to hold up over time.

• Accessories: Trimmers are generally the most popular purchases for men when it comes to grooming. The more supportive the accessories, the better options you’ll have for maintaining your beard and even the hair on your head. A healthy assortment of guide comb attachments is essential to a well-kept beard. They help your beard trimmer maintain a uniform length and can also provide versatility for blending. The most helpful guide for comb lengths is 1/16 inches to ⅝ inches. Additional accessories can include brow and precision detail trimmers, nose and ear trimmers, and even an electric shaver replacement head that can help with the details that make your beard stand out. You may also find cleaning brushes, oil, or a carrying case.

Care and maintenance

There are three super essential steps to maintaining your beard trimmer:

Get the hair out: Although most of the brushes included with beard trimmers are pretty flimsy, cleaning out all of the hair after each use will keep these brushes effective. Some trimmers are capable of being submerged in water. If this is the case, take advantage of this extra benefit. Remember, a clean trimmer is a reliable trimmer.

Keep it oiled: Similar to the pistons in a car engine, if these blades work for long periods without being oiled, they will become less effective. Consider oiling them after each use or following the manufacturer’s instructions. For me, it is easier to identify problems with my trimmers if I consistently keep them oiled. This includes the waterproof trimmers that say otherwise.

Store in a dry place: Like all electrical devices, long-term exposure to moisture can pose a problem down the road with potential rust or other types of erosion. A dry place is pivotal in maintaining reliable trimmers.

FAQ: What to Know About Beard Trimmers

How do you use a beard trimmer?

To use a beard trimmer, turn it on and place the base of the blades onto the surface of the skin. Allow the blades to move gently across your face.

Whether you are starting from the neck up or cheekbone down, the removal of hair should essentially be the same. Consider overlapping the last area trimmed to guarantee consistent beard length.

What size beard trimmer do I need?

Guide combs help you set the length for your beard trimmer. If you need to use your trimmers with guide combs as part of your grooming regime:

• Always choose the highest setting comb guard first to achieve the desired length. This will prevent you from taking too much off at the outset. Adjust to the next lowest setting to shorten the length until the desired length is achieved.
• Start from the base of the neck and trim upwards (towards the chin), and go against the grain (opposite direction your beard hair grows).
• Always overlap the last area trimmed to guarantee consistent beard length.
• Once you have achieved the desired length, the final step is to make sure your mustache is neat and not hanging over your lip. Position the trimmer at the center of the mustache and start at the lip line, where the hair tends to “overhang.” Carefully continue to trim toward the outer edges of the mustache as you follow the outline of the top lip as a guide.

Why You Should Trust Our Expertise

We have decades of hands-on experience testing and using beard trimmers.

Craig Whitely, professionally known as Craig the Barber, has been a professional barber for almost 15 years and has been practicing the trade since the age of 14. His experience in the space of barbering has opened up opportunities to consult with Fortune 500 skincare and grooming brands, educate and train future beauty students, and provide men’s grooming content for national magazines. He is the founder and CEO of his namesake and award-winning shaving and skincare line—Burke Avenue by Craig the Barber—and he advocates for consumers in the men’s grooming space.

Seamus Bellamy, formerly a Reviewed senior editor, has been testing men’s grooming products for close to 10 years. His coverage of beard trimmers and electric razors has appeared in The New York Times and Men’s Journal. His passion for data-driven research and nearly 20 years of experience make him a great choice to help you make a great choice.

We tested these beard trimmers on different guys with beards. Each beard trimmer was tested on its ability to create clean lines (sharpness), its ability to remove hair quickly (power), and its durability (dropped 'em). If the trimmer in question were waterproof, we tested it by using it in the shower and then dropping it into a full sink of water while it was on for three minutes.

• Robbie (early 20s): Thick and straight (virtually no curl); full beard growth on three-quarters of his face, with the remaining areas relatively sparse.
• Francisco (late 30s): Curly and fine (thin); full-face beard growth with greater beard density on the chin and moustache.
• Craig (early 40s): Thick and overly curly; full beard growth capable. However, I sport a Van Dyke (moustache and chin hair).
• Anthony (late 60s): Salt & pepper, thick combination beard-type (curly and straight). Full-face beard growth.
• Seamus (late 40s): Combination beard type (coarse and wavy;) thick, long Van Dyke; prefers looking a little rough, but keeps his lip line well-trimmed.

What Other Reviewers Are Saying About The Best Beard Trimmers

Opinions of which beard trimmer is best are as varied as the facial hair you’ll see walking in uptown Manhattan during rush hour. The one thing that just about all reviewers agree on is the reliability of certain brands. Companies like Wahl, Braun, Philips Norelco, and Panasonic have been making reliable electric grooming tools for decades. When making recommendations, our colleagues trust the same brands that we do.

• Wirecutter: Wirecutter’s top pick is the Philips Norelco Multigroom 7000 MG7750, a trimmer that shares a similar design with the Philips Norelco Series 9000. We don’t see eye to eye on this one.

• Wired: Wired likes the Braun Trimmer Series 9 because of the number of attachments it comes with and how easy it is to use. However, Wired’s guide is light on details on how they tested the hardware they feature. Wired is a trusted source, but showing your work is always appreciated.

• CNN Underscored: CNN Underscored digs the Remington MB4700 Smart Beard Trimmer, which we talk about in this guide. But we’re taking a pass on their opinion this time around. For all these trimmer bells and whistles, it just isn’t as great as our Best Overall pick.

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• The right way to shave body hair without razor burn
• The benefits of shaving with a safety razor